“You sent for me, ma’am?” he asked, hat in hand.
“Yes; I want you to drive into Gimlet Butte and bring back a person whom you’ll find at the Elk House waiting for you. I had rather you would go yourself, because I know you’re reliable.”
“Thank you, ma’am. How will I know him?”
“It’s a woman—a spinster. She’s coming to help Mrs. Winslow. Inquire for Miss Darling. She isn’t used to jolting two days in a rig, but I know you will be careful of her.”
“I’ll surely be as careful of the old lady as if she was my own mother.”
The mistress of the ranch smothered a desire to laugh.
“I’m sure you will. At her age she may need a good deal of care. Be certain you take rug enough.”
“I’ll take care of her the best I know how. Expect she’s likely rheumatic, but I’ll wrop her up till she looks like a Cheyenne squaw when tourist is trying to get a free shoot at her with camera.”
“Please do. I want her to get a good impression of Wyoming so that she will stay. I don’ know about the rheumatism, but you might ask her.”
There were pinpoints of merriment behind the guileless innocence of her eyes, but they came to the surface only after the foreman had departed.